CRACKed
by Payprklip
Summary: [Mordern AU] Alea is the daughter of Galbatorix, a powerful Drug Lord. She struggles to maintain some form of an ordinary life in a world of violence and crime. But this is made a little difficult when a rival Drug Lord seeks to use her as a hostage against her father. Luckily she has Murtagh and Thorn to help... BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
1. Chapter 1

Alea shifted in her cell, the hardness of the bench barely softened by the wipe-down blue mat. It was bloody freezing in here. She rubbed the tops of her bare arms and glanced around the tiny space once again. Nothing new. Porcelain tiles that reflected the bright light filtering through the window high in the wall behind her, immaculately mopped grey laminate floor. The bars on the window left strange shadows on the floor. Shadows she'd seen half a hundred times.

"Hey!" She yelled at the door opposite her. It was heavy, with no handle on the inside and a small slot that could be opened by the officers on duty. There was no answer. The cell vibrated with her call as the noise bounced off every surface and she winced. She had come down from her high now and suddenly the situation didn't seem as funny anymore.

God, that had been fucking _torture_. Sitting in an empty cell as she crashed: eyes refocusing, sight steadying, mood tumbling. Alone. Cold.

"Hey!" She tried again, "You ever heard of central heating?"

Footsteps outside, muffled through the thick door. A pause and then the slot covering slid back with a snap. A pair of eyes peered in, narrowed and dark.

"Shut your mouth, junkie."

Alea felt the familiar cocky attitude fall back into place. She shifted, leaning back on her hands and smiling widely.

"Junkie?" She scoffed, "Hardly."

The eyes narrowed further, threatening to leave. Alea snapped forwards, crossing her arms, "I'm cold."

The eyes widened incredulously, glittering with glee, "Naw. Is baby cold? Maybe Daddy can buy her an overpriced cashmere blanket with diamonds sewn into it. Oh wait – Daddy isn't here."

Alea snorted, "A diamond encrusted blanket would be hideously uncomfortable. What's your name officer?" She smiled sweetly, "I could get you a diamond blanket if you want?"

The eyes narrowed, "I'm adding 'Attempting to bribe an officer of the law' to your list of charges."

The eyes drew back, the slot slammed.

Alea smirked. Tetchy. It was an empty threat – her case would never go to court. All record of her arrest and charges would be wiped from every record. A sizable donation into the police's trust fund would anonymously appear and it would be like she had never been here at all.

Except she was here. And she was cold...and very bored.

She sighed, the sound jumping back and jarring her senses. She wondered if Thorn was in an adjourning cell and considered tapping on the wall to see if he knocked back but thought better of it. You wouldn't hear sound through these walls anyway. Getting high was so not worth this. She'd been here for fucking _hours._ Someone could have come and got her a thousand times over by now but no one had because her father was making her stew as punishment.

It wouldn't be her only punishment. When your father was a drug lord punishments tended to be pretty harsh. She'd earn some bruises tonight. It wasn't the bruises she minded so much but the people who gave them to her: namely not her father. It was always his _lackeys_ as she liked to call them. His employees. She sniffed just thinking about it. They were beneath her! They should not be allowed to touch her body. It undermined her authority.

Thorn would get bruises too. Maybe even worse than her. Thorn was Murtagh's best friend and her father had somewhat of a soft spot for him (although he would never admit that out loud). He lived with them and sometimes did odd dealings for the cartel, nothing major. Murtagh had been the one to convince her father to let him stay and it had taken a while but once he had, there was no going back. Murtagh was the son of her father's second-in-command, Morzan – the two of them did not get along. That was putting it mildly. Morzan was a nasty piece of work – well, they all were in that place, but he was the very worst of them. Sadistic, cruel, violent...the list went on. Luckily Murtagh had turned out alright – or as 'alright' as any one of them could be.

Thinking about her 'family' made her grit her teeth. Sure it was nice having a lot of money, having immunity from the law. But God, she wanted a normal life.

* * *

What felt like hours later, footsteps in the corridor alerted her to freedom. The door clanged open and a female officer stood in the frame with a sour look on her face.

"You're free to go."

Alea smirked. She bet it killed the officer to have to let her off scot-free. She stood up, her knees stiff from sitting in the cold for so long. The light had dimmed in the time she had been there and she guessed it was early evening. She made sure to bang into the officer's shoulder on the way out.

"Don't worry yourself," She threw back over her shoulder, "I know the way."

She swaggered down the corridor and into the reception area. It was markedly warmer out here, the bastards. Thorn was waiting at the desk next to a tall, pale man with a shock of red hair.

Shit.

Of all the people sent to fetch them, Durza was the one she had least wanted to see. Even Morzan would have been better. Durza was cold, but something about him unnerved her. The way the colour of his lips bled into the skin around his mouth, the way his skin was tight and never moved when he spoke, the way his eyes glinted red in the sun, the way his teeth were sharp when he smiled his smug smiles and flashed when he spoke in his soft, slippery voice.

She held back a shudder and switched her gaze to Thorn. He grinned at her. The pair of them had skipped school this morning to go and smoke weed in a secluded area of the park but the cops had shown up and completely ruined their buzz. Nevertheless, it was cool knowing they'd been let off once again. She grinned back and followed Durza as he turned silently and led them out the doors and into the small carpark.

"How was your stay in the world's best hotel?" Thorn teased her, falling into step.

She glanced up and narrowed her eyes at him, "Fucking terrible."

He smirked, "You look at me like it was all my fault."

"It _was_ all your fault. Your idea. You get the blame. It was fucking freezing in there."

He frowned, looking forward for a moment, "Yeah it was."

"Hey!" She dodged as his arm slipped around her waist, "I'm mad at you."

He grinned, "Oh what, you only into me when you're high?"

She avoided his gaze and split off from him, walking around the side of a black Range Rover and pulling the passenger door open. Durza got in the front. She slammed the door with more force than necessary but didn't bother with her seatbelt. Only then did she reply, staring dead ahead.

"Yep."

While they'd been in the park Thorn had leaned over and kissed her. They'd ended up making out for a while, roaming hands and tongues.

He chuckled, clearly not offended. She was glad it was getting dark though, because otherwise he would have seen the colour in her cheeks. What he didn't know was that she was kinda...into him. A lot. He was tall, not as tall as Murtagh but he had more muscles and he knew he looked good. Murtagh had the aristocratic, classic looks with the jaw line and the high cheekbones, while Thorn was rough, with wide shoulders and shining orange eyes. His eyes were weird, but they had always been that way and she liked them. It made him different. He was very funny and he messed around with her more that Murtagh, who was always serious and demanding. With not much to do at home, this morning had not been the first time she'd made out with him and it never meant anything when they did, but God had it turned her on. And he had no idea how much.

The engine started and the car reversed smoothly, bringing on a wave of nerves. She knew what awaited her when she got back.

* * *

She woke up in the dark, a black outline sitting over her. She felt the soft surface beneath her and the warmth of the blankets and knew it was over.

"Hey." Murtagh's voice.

"Hey." She croaked back. She could taste blood in her mouth and vaguely remembered biting her tongue as Barst had hit her. "How do I look?"

Murtagh's outline shifted, "There's a reason we're sitting in the dark."

Her body ached all over, especially her stomach. She frowned.

"My face."

"What?"

"He hit my face...He hardly ever lets them mark my face."

 _He likes to keep me pretty._ The unspoken statement passed between them. Alea knew she looked good. Long blonde hair, sweetheart face, full lips and eyes framed by dark lashes even without mascara, she was never self-conscious. Especially not now puberty had paired her face with wide hips and full breasts to match her narrow waist and long legs. She was what all the boys wanted and she flaunted what she had. But there was a darker side. She was a bargaining chip, a _reward._ If his men ever did something particularly praise-worthy her father had her brought to their bedroom for the night. It was his way of encouraging them to stay loyal.

"He was pretty angry, Lay." _Lay._ Her nickname.

"He's always angry, Tag..." She sighed, "How's Thorn?"

"Dunno," He shifed on the bed and she felt the matress dip, "They dragged him in after you were taken out. He's still in there. He'll be fine. He's tough."

"Yeah." She glanced away, wincing a the pain in her jaw.

Murtagh sighed and stood, "Go to sleep, Lay. I'll see you in the morning."

She didn't bother to reply.


	2. Chapter 2

The sky rumbled and Alea woke. She was alone and the room was dark - but not as dark as it bad been. A glance to her left and she read the time being projected 2 inches above a circular metal device on her bedside table. It was 5:58am, two minutes before she normally got up for school. She wouldn't be going to school today, though. Too many questions would be asked when people saw her bruises. She was never allowed back in to school after a beating until the marks had faded sufficiently. It meant the school complained intermittently about her attendance record, but her grades were more than enough for them to sweep the complaint aside as long as she promised to 'try and improve'. She was a star student: captain of the cheerleading team, captain of the netball team, class president and A* grades across the board. She would never admit it to anyone, but Alea loved school. It was a place where she could relax (even just a little bit) and interact with people who were her own age and who didn't carry concealed weapons. She loved how they adored her, how all the girls wanted to be like her and all the boys wanted to -  
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.  
The alarm interrupted her thoughts. She rolled onto her side and reached over, gasping at the sharp pain that shot down her ribs. Grimacing, she waved her hand over the metal circle and the noise cut off. Yeah...definitely not going to school today.  
The rain pattered against the window and the sky rumbled once again. A summer storm. She closed her eyes, unsure of how long she had been sleeping. She didn't want to go back to sleep but she didn't want to move either. Her body was stiff and sore from the beating and her jaw ached. A dim flashing made her open her eyes again and glance back to her left. The LED light on her phone was blinking, signalling that she had a message. She must have missed that before. Bracing herself, she rolled over and picked it up, holding it abover her face to read the screen:  
1 New Message: Thorn  
Her heart beat quicked a little and she hated herself for it. He'd gotten her into this mess. He was older than her and he messed girls around and he would never take her seriously. But she still liked him. Damned hormones.  
She slid the bar across and unlocked the phone. She was forbidden to have a passcode so that her father or his men could check she wasn't secretly communicating with the police or a rival cartel member. As if she would. One tap and the message was revealed:  
 _00:37 Hey, you awake? X_  
How disappointing.  
She typed back a reply and a second later her phone buzzed as Thorn responded.  
 **06:01 Yes.**  
 _06:01 Yeesh talk about a late reply... ;)_  
She smirked and continued the conversation.  
 **06:01 You deserve it**  
0 _6:02 Fair...although you didn't have to come with x_  
 **06:02 Whatever.**  
 _06:02 Hahaha you know I'm right. Just don't want to admit it :P_  
 **06:02 Are you still in bed? X**  
 _06:02 Change of subject much? :P I am actually...and it's feeling cold..._  
Her heart beat quickened again and she bit her lip. A clear invitation...but would it be too obvious if she took it? Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard.  
 **6:03 Was that a hint? It wasn't very subtle**  
0 _6_ : _03 It was subtle compaired to what I wanted to say_  
She bit harder into her lip and tried to steady her breathing. Be cool.  
 **06:03 What did you want to say?**  
 _06:03 Come and fuck me._  
She trembled. Thorn was good in bed. Very, very good. Of course, it helped that she had formed some kind of attraction to him. Damn it, if he was offering, she wasn't going to say no.  
 **06:04 Say please**  
She sat up and realised she was still wearing yesterday's clothes. The top was ripped at the sleeves and hem so when she pulled it over her head she dumped it in the bin. She jeans were still okay...but it was hard getting them off when she was so stiff. A bit of ...exercise was what she needed to loosen her muscles. She had to be fast, if she took too long he would think she actually cared about what she looked like. She did, but she didn't want him to know that. Going to her drawers she pulled out a fresh pair of pajamas, a lacy top and shorts set from Victoria's Secret that showed more skin than they covered. Grabbing her brush from the nightstand, she pulled through her tangles and used her hands to rough it up a bit, giving herself the perfect 'sexy bedhead' look. A quick spritz of her deepest, most sensual perfume and she was ready. She walked to the door, trying not to limp and picking up her phone from the bed on the way out.  
1 New Message: Thorn  
 _06:04 Please._

* * *

His room was darker than hers had been. She pushed the door open and slipped inside, closing it firmly behind her. A glance around showed her his outline in the bed, lying on his back.  
"You know I didn't think you'd take me up on my offer."  
She moved forward, feet sinking into the thick carpet. His room was like hers only smaller: on the first level was a sitting area with a leather sofa, coffee table and TV mounted on the wall. Behind the sofa and to the right were three steps leading up to the sleeping area. A Superking bed with two bedside tables sat at the back, while a large desk and floor lamp occupied the front. The whole top section was divided from the first level by glass panelling at waist height.  
"Offer?" She finally acknowledged, trailing her fingers along the edge of the sofa.  
A pause, then: "Request."  
She smiled, moving her hand to the metal bannister that marked the edge of the stairs.  
"I needed some way of stretching out my muscles now, didn't I?"  
He hummed nonsensically as she entered the bedroom area and walked across the floor and around the side of the bed. She knew he wasn't really listening to her reply. He reached for her almost as soon as she slipped under the covers. His mouth covered hers and for a moment she allowed him to kiss her.  
"You liar. You told me your bed was cold." She scolded him, pulling away slightly.  
"Mmn." Was his only reply. He didn't care for her banter anymore.

* * *

"Fuck." Thorn panted, collapsing onto his back next to her, "That was good."

It had been better than good. Her body trembled still, heart racing, head floating. She felt his hand on her face and looked up. He had turned to her, watching her reaction to him.

"Damn. Barst got you pretty good huh?"

She guessed he was referring to her face, which was no doubt bruised and a little swollen. She ignored his comment and stroked his chest gently, running her fingers over the dark blotches which had not been there the morning before.

"You too."

He shrugged, "I've had worse."

"Me too."

He gave her a wry smile. It wasn't a lie.


End file.
